A review by bookshelvesandtealeaves
Cover Story by Valerie Gomez

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was a fun, easy, sweet read.

I find celebrity romances a bit hit and miss, but this one handled the celebrity aspect well for me. Dax isn’t super well known, not yet anyway, and he’s chill and down to earth and super freaking sweet. And AJ is so unfazed by stardom that it was really more of a backline plot.

I loved their prickly first meeting, both of them kinda thinking the other was a jerk but also being drawn to each other, too. I loved the way Dax kept trying to make AJ at least smile even though he wasn’t sure what he’d done to make AJ dislike him.

I LOVED the way this book handled mental illness. It was approached with so much care and compassion and attention to detail. There was so much trauma woven into how Dax ended up where he is with his mental health and I felt it was really beautifully done.

I did find the progression of their relationship a bit frustrating, though. I felt like, in place of sweet coupley things, we mostly got fighting and making up. The things they fought over were real and valid, the balance just didn’t feel right for me and left me feeling a little disconnected from them.

I also feel the writing needs a bit of polishing. It’s not terrible but it feels like a stepping stone to something better in future. Which definitely means I’ll try this author again!